F-35 News

By Elizabeth Jackman from Glendale Star on Aug. 6, 2010 Valley leaders reacted last week with excitement to an announcement by Sen. John McCain that the Department of Air Force has selected Luke Air Force Base as its preferred training base for stationing of the F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter). “The Air Force has recognized that the unparalleled capabilities inherent to Arizona – from the Barry M. Goldwater Range, to great flying weather, and strong support from state and local governments and communities, serve to provide the best environment and the finest quality of life for our military personnel…

The Air Force got it exactly right in naming Luke Air Force Base its preferred location to train pilots to fly the new F-35 fighter jet. There is no better place for it. And there’s no better time for good news from Washington. The Air Force announced Thursday that Luke, at this point in the military’s analysis, is the optimum training location for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35 replaces the aging F-16, for which Luke has been the premier training site in the world. This is a major step in securing Luke’s future. Landing the F-35 is expected…

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Arizona’s local and state government officials, as well as the Arizona congressional delegation, are delighted with today’s decision that the Air Force has selected Luke Air Force Base as the preferred location for the new F-35 Pilot Training Center. With today’s decision by the Air Force, Luke is poised to transition from its current F-16 training mission to become the Air Force’s F-35 “school house,” subject to completion of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process that is currently underway. “Today’s announcement is great news for our region and our state and represents a major milestone and the…

The F-35 — cleared for takeoff By Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) – 06/30/10 07:59 PM ET The F-35 joint strike fighter program has changed significantly during the past year. The Pentagon restructured the program, installed new leadership to oversee it and conducted a thorough review of the entire project. One thing hasn’t changed: America needs the F-35. The Defense Department reaffirmed that fact in a recent report to Congress after taking a hard look at the next-generation fighter. The reassessment concluded the F-35 is vital to national defense and “remains the backbone of the (aviation) inventory.” The F-35 Lightning II…

If you missed Wednesday April 21, 2010’s NewsHour on PBS, watch Kwame Holman’s report on the controversial fighter below in five chapters. The Pentagon’s forthcoming warplane, the Joint Strike Fighter, is intended for use across the different branches of the military but has come under fire in Congress for skyrocketing costs and delays. Skeptics and defenders of the aircraft, which will be called the F-35, express their views in the following extended interviews. Author and journalist Bill Sweetman says for the first time the re-equipment plans of the U.S. fighter force is reliant on one program and one manufacturer: Chapter…

May 18, 2010 – Two Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters flew nonstop from their final-assembly site in Fort Worth, Texas, to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., signaling a further expansion of F-35 flight test operations. The arrival is the first in a series that will increase the Edwards F-35 test fleet to at least eight aircraft. U.S. Air Force Test Pilot Lt. Col. Hank “Hog” Griffiths and Lockheed Martin Chief Test Pilot Jon Beesley flew the jets, known as AF-1 and AF-2, nonstop in the first multi-ship, long-range F-35 flight. “The ferry flight went very smoothly, and reflects…

The Navy may not receive its first F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighter until 2012, but a simulation-based training program will be ready for the first pilots who arrive at the training wing next year. The Navy plans to begin sending pilots in early 2011 to the training squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35, is developing the training program for the first cadre of experienced pilots, who will in turn train a broader group of Navy pilots. The F-35C community will be limited to experienced pilots — mostly those with at least 1,000…